Chapter 40

Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, United States

Hurrying to keep up with Jack among the crowd rushing by, going the opposite way on the path, Gen slid between people all dressed in funny clothing and talking on their devices of worship. The air was filled with a constant hum of noise, a discord of strange sounds that assaulted her ears from every direction. Every storefront she passed was a revelation, filled with wonders that she could scarcely comprehend.

When Jack halted in front of a store where beautiful freshly baked breads were on display through the clear glass window, Gen's mouth began to salivate. The whole place seemed to be filled with delectable pastries and beautiful cakes. The writing across the top of the glass read Bun and Run Bakery.

"I'll explain to our newbie what happens in there while you go and check on our bakery friends," Jack said to Sully, who was already opening the shop's door, making a bell chime.

Gen pointed at the place that seemed completely enchanting and delicious with utter confusion. "This bakery runs illegal activity? How?"

Jack nodded, seeming to understand her plight and also relish in it. "Oh, yeah. Bun and Run Bakery is one of our biggest illegal and potentially out-of-control operations that we have to keep a tight handle on. You see, they ship out their artisan breads all over the country, easily passing over state and even country borders because everyone loves their yeasty goods. However, baked into half of the breads are things that no one can eat."

He paused, seeming to wait for Gen to get it. She didn't. Jack sighed. "They smuggle illegal things across the plains of this great land."

"Oh, well, that sounds bad…"

"It could be, but we keep an eye on what it is," Jack explained. "It's things like contraband or recreational drugs. Stuff that can't really hurt anyone. We allow them to keep their racket going and in exchange, they tell us who else is running in the smuggling ring. When we get word that it's something we won't tolerate like automatic weapons or hard drugs, then we intervene—using the intel that the bakery provided."

"Wow, I'm not sure that I completely understand everything you just said, but that sounds really smart," Gen stated. "You use a pack of small dogs to take down the really big Chupacabra."

Jack arched an eyebrow at her. "You're surprisingly very intelligent about modern things…"

She blushed, not having expected this compliment. "Amanda stocked my bedroom with a lot of books. I've been devouring them as fast as I could. I read about the Chupacabra last night—they are vicious."

Jack nodded. "Much like arms dealers, who I don't have any patience for. So, the bakers here help us to sniff them out and take them down before they can put guns in the hands of children and unknowing people."

"Smart," Gen said, watching as Sully returned, looking happy with himself. "Did you do whatever it was you do?"

He nodded. "Yes, there's nothing on the no-no list for smuggling routes and the bakers gave me a list of their next several shipments."

"Wow, you seem to have things worked out," Gen mused.

"That we do," Jack said, proudly, turning around and pointing. "Over there we have The Whiskey Gargoyle Bar. They run an illegal fight club where people place bets. We review the list of fighters and only allow those who are really despicable on there."

Sully laughed loudly. "We literally ensure that the bad guys pummel each other."

Jack nodded. "The poor guy down on his luck and looking to make a buck to feed his family doesn't get to fight."

"That's right," Sully cut in cheerfully, pointing to a small shop with a blue awning. "That guy gets a donation from the Printing Prosperity Press secretly left at his door."

"What?" Gen asked, looking between the two men, bewildered and trying to keep up.

"That seemingly innocent print shop over there, run by a nice family, actually prints counterfeit money," Jack explained. "We allow it, provided that they report how much they put out into the economy and how. Also, half of it has to go to charity."

"Is counterfeit money safe?" Gen questioned.

"Believe me, there will always be counterfeit currency," Sully stated. "It's a lot better if we know about it and where it's going."

"And ensure that half of it goes to a good place," Jack added proudly.

"Okay, tell me about the other businesses," Gen said, her heart beating fast suddenly with excitement. She never knew the world could be good and bad at the same time and it be okay.

Sully put his arm around her shoulder, steering her to face a place across the street. "This one is my favorite." He glanced at Jack. "Can I have the honors?"

Jack nodded, a dimple surfacing on his cheek when he did.

"Well, over there at Vital Flow Blood Center, they take withdrawals from people," Sully explained.

"Withdrawals?" Gen asked, not sure what he meant.

"That place takes blood from humans," Jack imparted. "People have their blood tested in order to check their health in this era. Anyway, that's a lab. And they take blood, but they always take one extra vial from each patient."

Sully nodded. "That vial is then sold to hungry vampires on the black market. We allow the place to run if they give us a list of their buyers. It's better for the world if we know and can track all vampires. Most of them keep to themselves, especially if they are buying blood and not taking it. But it's good for us to know where they are in case one falls off the wagon."

"Wow, people test their blood to check their health," Gen said in awe.

Sully gave Jack a look of amusement. "Should we be concerned that the vampire thing totally didn't faze her?"

"Vampires were around in my time," Gen stated boldly.

"Yes, they are as old as dirt," Jack joked.

"What's next?" Gen asked, curious.

"Oh, this one is my favorite," Jack said, pulling Gen out of Sully's grasp and leading her down the sidewalk. He pointed to a place that had big open doors and loud noises emanating from it. There were also many cars with their front end opened up, like they had a problem. "That's The Getaway Garage. It's a place that repairs cars. You know those big metal things that go fast on the road."

Gen mock scowled at him. "I know what cars are…"

"Well, anyway, that place steals illegal parts off cars," Jack went on. "However, much like with the fight club, we approve the list of vehicles."

"And we ensure that they are real scoundrels," Sully boasted. "And usually, we pick a pretty bad time for them to have their cars stripped of parts, typically leaving them stranded when they need to make a quick getaway."

"Wow, that's very clever," Gen mused.

"Now, do you want to go into one of the seemingly reputable businesses and see how we keep the lawbreakers in check?" Jack asked, batting his eyelashes at her in a playful way.

Gen nodded, excited to see the patrols in action. "Yes, show me how you police these crooks. I want to see firsthand."